MC68EC000EI20 - 20MHz 32-Bit M68k MPU | NXP | 68-PLCC
MPN: MC68EC000EI20 ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $18.5 | $18.50 |
| 10 | $16.2 | $162.00 |
| 100 | $13.85 | $1,385.00 |
| 500 | $11.4 | $5,700.00 |
| 1,000 | $9.75 | $9,750.00 |
MC68EC000EI20 Overview
A microprocessor (MPU) is an integrated circuit that contains the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system; it fetches, decodes, and executes instructions from memory and orchestrates peripheral devices via address, data, and control buses. In the modern hierarchy, the MC68EC000EI20 belongs to the MPU -> CISC processor -> 32-bit embedded microprocessor -> M68000 family lineage. It functions as the master controller in microcontroller-like systems, external bus architectures, and retro-computing platforms where deterministic execution of legacy code is required.
Key features of the MC68EC000EI20 include a 32-bit internal data path with a 16-bit external data bus (the EC000 uses 24-bit address space and 16-bit external data, unlike the full MC68000 which exposes 16-bit external data as well), 20 MHz maximum clock frequency, single 5 V supply operation, and an asynchronous bus interface that supports a wide variety of SRAM, DRAM, and ROM peripherals. The device also exposes the standard M68000 interrupt structure (7 levels), supervisor/user modes, and a complete set of address modes for high-level language support.
Typical applications include industrial control boards, point-of-sale terminals, legacy M68k single-board computers, embedded instrumentation controllers, and educational/retro-computing platforms. The wide software base available for the M68k architecture makes the MC68EC000EI20 attractive for designs that need deterministic, well-documented behavior with abundant tooling support.
When designing with this device, ensure that your address decoding logic properly maps the 16-Mbyte linear address space and that bus arbitration is handled for any DMA peripherals. Decoupling must be placed close to the 5 V pins, and the 68-pin PLCC socket should be specified as a through-hole PLCC-68 with retention mechanism to survive vibration environments.
Drop-in alternatives for MC68EC000EI20 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with MC68EC000EI20 (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Core Architecture, Data Bus Width.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MC68HC000EI20
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$42.5 / Unit
View Datasheet →MC68SEC000EI20
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC68EC000EI16
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC68EC000EI10
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MC68EC000EI20 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | M68000 (M68k) - EC000 variant |
| Data Bus Width | 16-bit external (32-bit internal) |
| Address Bus Width | 24-bit |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 5 V |
| Package | 68-PLCC (24.21 x 24.21 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount / Through-hole socket |
| Number of Cores | 1 |
| Instruction Set | M68000 (binary compatible with MC68000 family) |
| Interrupt Levels | 7 (autovectored) |
| MMU | No (EC000 = address-control reduced variant) |
| FPU | External (M68881/M68882) |
MC68EC000EI20 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | Vcc — +5 V supply |
| Pin 2 | A1 — Address bus bit 1 |
| Pin 3 | A2 — Address bus bit 2 |
| Pin 4 | A3 — Address bus bit 3 |
| Pin 5 | A4 — Address bus bit 4 |
| Pin 6 | A5 — Address bus bit 5 |
| Pin 7 | A6 — Address bus bit 6 |
| Pin 8 | A7 — Address bus bit 7 |
| Pin 9 | A8 — Address bus bit 8 |
| Pin 10 | A9 — Address bus bit 9 |
| Pin 11 | A10 — Address bus bit 10 |
| Pin 12 | A11 — Address bus bit 11 |
| Pin 13 | A12 — Address bus bit 12 |
| Pin 14 | A13 — Address bus bit 13 |
| Pin 15 | A14 — Address bus bit 14 |
| Pin 16 | A15 — Address bus bit 15 |
| Pin 17 | A16 — Address bus bit 16 |
| Pin 18 | A17 — Address bus bit 17 |
| Pin 19 | A18 — Address bus bit 18 |
| Pin 20 | A19 — Address bus bit 19 |
| Pin 21 | A20 — Address bus bit 20 |
| Pin 22 | A21 — Address bus bit 21 |
| Pin 23 | A22 — Address bus bit 22 |
| Pin 24 | A23 — Address bus bit 23 |
| Pin 25 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 26 | D0 — Data bus bit 0 |
| Pin 27 | D1 — Data bus bit 1 |
| Pin 28 | D2 — Data bus bit 2 |
| Pin 29 | D3 — Data bus bit 3 |
| Pin 30 | D4 — Data bus bit 4 |
| Pin 31 | D5 — Data bus bit 5 |
| Pin 32 | D6 — Data bus bit 6 |
| Pin 33 | D7 — Data bus bit 7 |
| Pin 34 | D8 — Data bus bit 8 |
| Pin 35 | D9 — Data bus bit 9 |
| Pin 36 | D10 — Data bus bit 10 |
| Pin 37 | D11 — Data bus bit 11 |
| Pin 38 | D12 — Data bus bit 12 |
| Pin 39 | D13 — Data bus bit 13 |
| Pin 40 | D14 — Data bus bit 14 |
| Pin 41 | D15 — Data bus bit 15 |
| Pin 42 | GND — Ground |
| Pin 43 | AS — Address Strobe |
| Pin 44 | UDS — Upper Data Strobe |
| Pin 45 | LDS — Lower Data Strobe |
| Pin 46 | R/W — Read/Write |
| Pin 47 | DTACK — Data Transfer Acknowledge |
| Pin 48 | CLK — Clock input |
| Pin 49 | IPL0 — Interrupt Priority Level 0 |
| Pin 50 | IPL1 — Interrupt Priority Level 1 |
| Pin 51 | IPL2 — Interrupt Priority Level 2 |
| Pin 52 | BERR — Bus Error |
| Pin 53 | VPA — Valid Peripheral Address (auto-vector) |
| Pin 54 | E — Enable clock (E clock output) |
| Pin 55 | VMA — Valid Memory Address |
| Pin 56 | RESET — Reset input |
| Pin 57 | HALT — Halt |
| Pin 58 | FC0 — Function Code bit 0 |
| Pin 59 | FC1 — Function Code bit 1 |
| Pin 60 | FC2 — Function Code bit 2 |
| Pin 61 | BR — Bus Request |
| Pin 62 | BG — Bus Grant |
| Pin 63 | BGACK — Bus Grant Acknowledge |
| Pin 64 | TCLK — Test clock (factory test) |
| Pin 65 | TDI — Test data in (factory test) |
| Pin 66 | TDO — Test data out (factory test) |
| Pin 67 | TMS — Test mode select (factory test) |
| Pin 68 | TRST — Test reset (factory test) |
Typical Applications
MC68EC000EI20 is suitable for 6 applications: Industrial Control Boards, Point-of-Sale Terminals, Legacy Single-Board Computers, Embedded Instrumentation, Retro Computing Platforms, Automotive Telematics Legacy Modules.
Industrial Control Boards
The MC68EC000EI20 fits industrial control boards that require deterministic 32-bit processing of M68k legacy code with minimal cost overhead. Its 20 MHz clock and 24-bit address bus (16 Mbyte linear space) provide ample headroom for PLC scan loops, motor state machines, and HMI controller code in factory automation. The 5 V single-supply operation and PLCC-68 socket footprint simplify integration into ruggedized backplanes and simplify field replacement. Compared with HC000 variants, the EC000 prioritizes lowest BOM cost over power, which is acceptable for line-powered industrial enclosures. Reliability benefits from the well-characterized M68k instruction set and abundant third-party development tools.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale Terminals
The MC68EC000EI20 is well-suited to point-of-sale (POS) terminals where the 20 MHz 32-bit M68k core runs terminal firmware, transaction handlers, and peripheral I/O stacks reliably. Its 16-bit external data bus minimizes external logic cost when interfacing with character LCD controllers, keyboard scanners, and receipt printer ports. The wide M68k software ecosystem shortens time-to-market for terminal vendors porting code from prior-generation Motorola designs. Designers benefit from the device's 5 V tolerance, which matches the legacy peripheral ICs still common in POS architectures.
Recommended
Legacy Single-Board Computers
Single-board computers (SBCs) and SBC-replacement designs rely on the MC68EC000EI20 to deliver authentic M68k instruction execution in retro and educational platforms. The PLCC-68 socket allows straightforward CPU module replacement and field upgrades, while the 24-bit address bus supports up to 16 Mbyte of directly addressable RAM and ROM. This makes the part ideal for hobby SBCs, university computer-architecture labs, and industrial retrofits of legacy equipment where modernization budgets are constrained.
Recommended
Embedded Instrumentation
Embedded instrumentation such as oscilloscope front-ends, data-acquisition controllers, and signal analyzers can leverage the MC68EC000EI20's deterministic instruction timing for time-correlated measurement capture. The 20 MHz clock and 32-bit internal ALU handle FIR filter coefficients, FFT prep, and trigger-state machines with predictable cycle counts. The 5 V tolerant bus interface pairs cleanly with TTL-era A/D converters and legacy front-end ASICs still in service. Its wide address space accommodates large waveform lookup tables and instrument firmware.
Recommended
Retro Computing Platforms
The MC68EC000EI20 powers retro-computing platforms and FPGA-based soft-MPU co-processors where authentic 32-bit M68k execution is desired. Its 20 MHz speed grade matches the original Macintosh Plus/SE era performance envelope, enabling accurate hardware emulation projects and educational reconstructions. Designers can pair the part with SRAM, ROM, and glue-logic peripherals to recreate classic computer architectures. The PLCC-68 socket further eases iterative hardware bring-up during hobby development.
Recommended
Automotive Telematics Legacy Modules
Automotive telematics and fleet-management modules that predate modern CAN-FD architectures often run M68k firmware on the MC68EC000EI20 to maintain compatibility with installed-base software. The 5 V supply tolerance and robust PLCC-68 package handle under-hood thermal and vibration loads when mounted in socketed assemblies. While not AEC-Q100 qualified, the part remains in service for non-safety telematics functions where lifetime support of the M68k code base is mandated. Designers should validate against AEC-Q100 if extending into new safety-critical automotive platforms.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MC68EC000EI20 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MC68HC000EI20 | MC68SEC000EI20 | MC68EC000EI16 | MC68EC000EI10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 68-PLCC | 68-PLCC | 68-PLCC | 68-PLCC | 68-PLCC |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Maximum Clock Frequency | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 20 MHz | 16 MHz | 10 MHz |
| Supply Voltage | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V | 5 V |
| Data Bus Width | 16-bit external | 16-bit external | 16-bit external | 16-bit external | 16-bit external |
| Address Bus Width | 24-bit | 24-bit | 24-bit | 24-bit | 24-bit |
| Process Technology | CMOS (EC variant) | CMOS | CMOS | CMOS (EC variant) | CMOS (EC variant) |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Lowest-cost M68k entry point at 20 MHz (vs MC68HC000EI20)
- Full 20 MHz speed grade availability (vs MC68EC000EI16)
- Wide M68k software ecosystem and tooling support (vs ColdFire MCF5206)
Design Notes
The MC68EC000EI20 operates from a single 5 V supply; place 100 nF ceramic decoupling capacitors close to each Vcc/GND pin pair of the PLCC-68 package. Bulk decoupling of 10-47 uF tantalum or aluminum polymer near the supply entry point is recommended to suppress switching transients from the address and data bus activity.
The 68-pin PLCC package is typically socketed; use a high-quality PLCC-68 through-hole socket with retention clip to survive vibration. Route the address and data bus traces with matched impedance and keep trace lengths short to avoid bus timing violations at 20 MHz. Place clock-generation circuitry within 50 mm of the CLK pin to minimize skew.
Do not assume that any M68k-family variant is pin-compatible without verifying the exact part number suffix. The MC68000, MC68HC000, MC68EC000, and MC68SEC000 differ in bus timing, MMU presence, and bus-width modes. Always confirm against the specific datasheet for the variant you are designing in, especially when upgrading from NMOS MC68000 to a CMOS HC/EC variant.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not present in the verified web snippets; values set to 'unknown' pending datasheet verification. The part is NRND and not AEC-Q100 qualified.
